In LA's high-end sushi game, Morihiro feels like a cheat code. A loophole in the logic that says eating the best sushi in the city requires spending the kind of money that would make a Netflix executive wince. If you are looking for a wildly expensive sushi meal, you can certainly have one here. But on any given night, you can also pop into this Echo Park sushi bar for an order of crackly shrimp tempura, a spicy tuna roll that actually tastes like tuna, and several bites of nigiri that glisten like gems—all made with the same finesse and attention to detail as the fancy omakase—and be out the door for less than $75. That’s what turns Morihiro from a special-occasion spot most people might visit once a year (or once in a lifetime) into a place worth dreaming about weekly. Book a reservation at Morihiro’s four-seat omakase counter, and you’ll be treated to a two-and-a-half-hour extravaganza featuring green baby peaches suspended in white wine jelly, delicate knife-tenderized geoduck, and silky shrimp tartare crowned with a big dollop of caviar—at the price of $400 per person. But the biggest difference between this spot and chef Morihiro Onodera’s previous restaurant is the addition of the a la carte menu: a few appetizers like spicy edamame and salmon skin salad, several classic sushi rolls, nigiri priced per piece, and larger dishes like smoked chicken teriyaki and a petite wagyu steak. Ever wonder what the finest california roll in the world tastes like? Morihiro has the answer. Behind the counter, you’ll still find Onodera, an LA sushi icon known for making his own pottery, milling his own rice, and coaxing excellence out of any sashimi he touches, like a fish-fluent Tony Robbins. Service is precise, but not stuffy. A maître d’ in a suit greets you at the door, but there’s a good chance Talking Heads or Kendrick Lamar will be playing on the speakers. Reservations are easy, walk-ins are welcome, and the room—while looking a bit like a fancy apartment lobby—feels more like a neighborhood sushi bar than anything else. Though the a la carte menu is miles more affordable than the omakase, a single nigiri at Morihiro averages about $12, so it’s still dangerously easy to rack up a big bill. Our perfect order involves a couple of reasonably priced sushi rolls, a larger dish or two, and a few nigiri as a treat. There are tables along the length of the room, but you’ll want a seat at the bar, where chefs shape nigiri in a blur while chatting with customers, and bartenders pour elegant cocktails that wouldn’t be out of place at a five-star Tokyo hotel (the smoky, extra-bubbly highball is the best we’ve ever tasted). If you’re a hardcore sushi fan, the full omakase at Morihiro remains a worthwhile splurge. But there’s also a rare joy in knowing that eating sushi this special no longer necessitates a birthday, an anniversary, or a surplus of generational wealth.